The common misconception is that the doctor (or other medical professional) provides the death certificate. Although some still refer to the doctors paperwork as the ‘death certificate’ it is officially known as the ‘Notice of Death’ or BI1663 form. It is normally the Undertaker’s duty, once it is completed, to collect this form from the doctor or professional nurse. It is then completed with the family and taken to a local office of The Department of Home Affairs by the Undertaker for registration. Home Affairs will issue an abridged death certificate to the undertaker, who in turn passes it on to the Next of Kin or Executor.

It usually takes a few days to get the death certificate. While doctors strive to complete the necessary documentation in good time there can sometimes be delays. Once the paperwork is in the hands of the Undertaker the process can move rather swiftly. Expect to wait anywhere between 2 to 5 days under normal circumstances   

The funeral company will normally source the relevant medical paperwork (e.g. Notice of Death from the doctor) and will need to see the Identity Document of the deceased.  Copies will be made for Home Affairs, the crematorium or cemetery, and for other purposes. The Undertaker will cancel the ID document and return it to you. The member of family completing the necessary forms will also need to produce their ID document.

A coffin is required for cremation. This is both for practical and health and safety reasons. The crematorium works under a strict set of regulations and will not accept anyone not presented in a well constructed coffin made of combustible material.

Crematoriums have systems and standards in place which ensure that human remains are handled in a dignified and correct manner. In a nutshell; when the Undertaker delivers the coffin and the signing over process is completed, the coffin is allocated a unique identifying number (stamped into a metal tag) which accompanies the coffin through the entire process. The identity tag is placed with the ashes which the Undertaker collects and hands over to the family. Only one coffin is cremated at a time.

With families scattered all over the country and world it is understandable that many would want to wait before going ahead with a service. Most funeral companies understand this dynamic and are willing to delay proceeding within certain limits. Cold storage facilities are normally included in the initial costing. This may allow a reasonable period of between 5 to 10 days before daily charges will be applied, but this period depends on each company’s policy.

Burial plots are sold by most City run cemeteries when they are needed rather than ahead of time. Previously this was possible and many families still own empty burial plots. Private cemeteries (e.g. Legacy Parks) do still sell family plots

You might prefer to use the services of a different funeral company which better suits your personal requirements and financial constraints. You are under no obligation to use the funeral company who facilitated the initial removal unless you have signed a mandate. They may charge a removal fee if you do decide to use another undertaker. Certain hospitals (e.g. most government hospitals) do make use of a contracted funeral company to do the initial removal. This company simply supply the initial manpower and cold storage for the hospital until the family decides which funeral company they prefer to use.   

As the family you will usually set the pace. After the initial removal phase you may want half a day or more to process things and to begin exploring appropriate service arrangements. To avoid double bookings please confirm with the funeral company before finalising funeral dates and times. Most funeral companies will give you a courtesy call within 8 to 12 hours of the death of a loved one.

If you have an idea that something may happen while you are away it is best to make a few pre-arrangement calls to the doctor, caregiver, Undertaker etc. In this way all the role-players are aware of your concerns and wishes and can take appropriate action should the need arise. If you are away or living in a different area for a extended time you can appoint a family member, friend, lawyer, retirement home manager etc. to act on your behalf.

This is unfortunately a common issue. In most cases a person’s marital status has changed, whether through marriage, the death of a spouse, divorced or remarriage, and the system at the Department of Home Affairs has not been updated. The misconception is that a change of status happens automatically. The reality is that someone whether it is the spouse, the lawyer, the marriage officer etc. needs to lodge the change at a local Home Affairs office. This can be done by providing them with evidence of the marital status change such as a divorce decree or death certificate. In recent times the Identity Documents of married couples have been ‘linked’ and the death of one will automatically updates the marital status of the other.

Usually if a person has been under the care of a doctor or medical facility there is an awareness of their medical condition and the necessary paperwork will be issued on death will few real concerns. There are times however where the medical professions do not feel confident in pronouncing a cause of death without further investigation. In these cases the person will be referred to the forensics department at a state mortuary to undergo a post-mortem. This process will involve the opening of a police docket and ultimately lead to a pronouncement of the category of death (i.e. natural causes, unnatural causes or under investigation). Cases where people die under suspicious circumstances, or in an accident are also referred to the state mortuary.

It is preferable that the Nearest Relative completes the necessary documentation but this is not essential. If they are unable to do this the task can fall to another family member, close friend, Executor, or other mandated individual or institution.